Illinois Basketball: Projected roster rotation and minutes for 2024-25 season

Small Forward

Projected starter: Will Riley (23 mpg)

Highly coveted five-star recruit Will Riley, who committed to the Illini in late June and reclassified from 2025 to 2024, expects to make an immediate impact in his first -- and possibly only -- season in Champaign. Why Will Riley, the highest-ranked recruit Illinois has landed in the 24/7 Sports recruiting rankings era, is projected to start over Ty Rodgers and Tre White is simple: It's hard to imagine Riley willing to reclassify if he expects to come off the bench.

As a natural, high-volume scorer with a versatile skill set and ability to play multiple positions, it is without surprise that the 6-foot-8 SF has generated 2025 NBA Draft buzz. Riley may not be in Champaign for long but his impact will be instantaneous on the 2024-25 Illinois basketball roster.

Bench: Tre White (17 mpg)

It feels as if Tre White’s name has been lost in the shuffle amidst the flurry of offseason moves and headlines Illinois went through this spring/summer. White, who started his collegiate career at USC, averaged 12.3 PPG and nearly six RPG last season at Louisville. Although Louisville had its fair share of lows last season, White was a bright spot for that group, shooting 45.6% from the field in over 30 minutes per contest. While Tre White likely won’t be clocking in 30 minutes per game this season for Illinois like he did at Louisville, he will undoubtedly be an instrumental depth piece on the wings for the Fighting Illini in 2024-25.